HR and Payroll Month in Review – March 2018: Yukon Territory

Minimum WageApril 1: The minimum wage increases from $11.32 to $11.51 per hour. Meanwhile, the government has asked the Employment Standards Board to review the territory’s practice of indexing annual minimum wage increases to the CPI and explore fairer, more progressive options. The Board is expected to issue its report in September or October.

DiversityMarch 6: The government tabled a bill proposing measures to protect LGBQT rights, including by making sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression prohibited grounds of discrimination under the Public Service Labour Relations Act. The bill would also provide for LGBTQ diversity on boards and committees required under various pieces of legislation.

CannabisMarch 8: The headliner in Yukon’s tabled recreational cannabis legalization bill, as far as employers are concerned, is the limitation of consumption to privately-owned residences and adjoining property—although public property including workplaces may be added later. Other key provisions of Bill 15: